SUMMARY: In this application, the Administrative and Mentoring Core, directed by Dr. Mariana Gerschenson, the COBRE PI, has designed strategies for administering the COBRE-Diabetes and its resources to enhance and accelerate the development of the institution and the JABSOM research capacity on the theme of Diabetes and Insulin Resistance (I/R). The overall goal of this Core is to further a multi-disciplinary diabetes and I/R research center that will develop adequate research capabilities to obtain extramural grant support for its future development. The particular emphasis of the Administrative Core is the coordination of resources to mentor four Junior Investigators and to support the creation of a multi-faceted center that includes a strong component of translational research. First, the Administrative Core will recruit and arrange visits for an External Advisory Committee (EAC) that will both advise and assess the COBRE. Second, the Core will coordinate the development of an individual mentoring plan for each of the four Junior Investigators. The cornerstone of the mentoring plan will be a tailored Mentoring Team for each Junior Investigator with one or more internal primary mentor(s) for scientific and career development, one or more external mentor(s) for scientific collaboration and mentoring, and the COBRE PI. The mentoring team and the Junior Investigator?s progress will be closely monitored by the EAC. Third, we will establish a Pilot Project Program to stimulate and advance extramural funding of diabetes-related proposals from investigators throughout our State.